Patents by Inventor Toru Iwashima

Toru Iwashima has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6892003
    Abstract: An optical signal, which is to become the subject of dispersion compensation, is split by optical combining/splitting unit 2, and each frequency component of the optical signal that is split is reflected by the corresponding reflective mirror 30 included in reflective mirror group 3 to apply a predetermined phase shift to the respective frequency components Each reflected frequency component is then combined using optical combining/splitting unit 2, to give dispersion compensated optical signal Furthermore, in regards to reflective mirror group 3, which is used to apply phase shift to each frequency component of an optical signal, each of the respective plurality of reflective mirrors 30 is made a movable mirror having a movable reflection position that reflects the frequency components. Through this, dispersion that develops in an optical signal may be compensated with favorable controllability and high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Katayama, Toshiaki Okuno, Masayuki Nishimura, Tomomi Sano, Masakazu Shigehara, Hiroshi Suganuma, Toru Iwashima, Tomohiko Kanie
  • Patent number: 6876791
    Abstract: In a diffraction grating device (1), index modulations are formed along the longitudinal direction of an optical fiber (10) serving as an optical waveguide. The optical fiber (10) has a core region (11), an inner cladding region (12), and an outer cladding region (13) sequentially from the optical axis center. Index modulations are formed in both the core region (11) and the inner cladding region (12) of the optical fiber (10) in each of a plurality of regions A1 to AN (N is an integer; N?2) separated from each other along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber (10). In the diffraction grating device (1), regions An (n=1 to N) in which index modulations are formed in both the core region (11) and the inner cladding region (12) and regions Bn (n=1 to N?1) in which no index modulations are formed alternately exist along the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Murashima, Ken Hashimoto, Toru Iwashima
  • Publication number: 20040161196
    Abstract: Refractive index change inducing light UV outputted from a light source passes a shutter and an optical system, and then is reflected by a mirror, so as to irradiate an optical fiber by way of a phase grating mask. A diffracting action of the phase grating mask generates a (+)first-order light component and a (−)first-order light component, which interfere with each other, thereby generating interference fringes with a fringe interval &Lgr;. As the mirror moves along the z axis, an irradiation position at which the optical fiber is irradiated with the refractive index change inducing light UV by way of the phase grating mask is scanned. While moving the mirror upon irradiation with the refractive index change inducing light UV, the phase grating mask is vibrated along the z axis under the action of a piezoelectric device. The phase or period of vibration varies from scan to scan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Murashima, Ken Hashimoto, Toshikazu Shibata, Toru Iwashima, Akira Inoue
  • Publication number: 20030044117
    Abstract: In a diffraction grating device (1), index modulations are formed along the longitudinal direction of an optical fiber (10) serving as an optical waveguide. The optical fiber (10) has a core region (11), an inner cladding region (12), and an outer cladding region (13) sequentially from the optical axis center. Index modulations are formed in both the core region (11) and the inner cladding region (12) of the optical fiber (10) in each of a plurality of regions A1 to AN (N is an integer; N≧2) separated from each other along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber (10). In the diffraction grating device (1), regions An (n=1 to N) in which index modulations are formed in both the core region (11) and the inner cladding region (12) and regions Bn (n=1 to N−1) in which no index modulations are formed alternately exist along the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Murashima, Ken Hashimoto, Toru Iwashima
  • Patent number: 6504962
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining a condition of aging for an optical waveguide grating. In this method, the aged deterioration,curve of the optical waveguide grating is set as a forms of C·t−&agr;, t represents time, and &agr; and C represent parameters. Then, the condition of the aging is determined based on the aged deterioration curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Ishikawa, Toru Iwashima, Michiko Harumoto, Akira Inoue, Masakazu Shigehara
  • Patent number: 6483955
    Abstract: This invention relates to a diffraction grating device having a refractive index modulation formed in an optical waveguide region in a predetermined region in the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide. In the diffraction grating device, a refractive index modulation is formed in the core region in a predetermined region in the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide. In this diffraction grating device, the optical period of the refractive index modulation is substantially constant, the phase of the refractive index modulation is inverted at a phase inversion portion, and the number of phase inversion portions is one or two. In this diffraction grating device, the absolute value of a parameter R (equation (22a)) is smaller than 0.25. According to this invention, a diffraction grating device capable of shortening the region where the refractive index modulation is formed and flattening the reflectance characteristic in the reflection wavelength band is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Shiozaki, Toru Iwashima, Masakazu Shigehara, Kiyotaka Murashima
  • Patent number: 6477308
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an optical waveguide device having a structure for effectively suppressing variation in optical characteristics due to temperature change without causing increase in device size, and a fabrication method thereof. The optical waveguide device has a structure in which a first main member having a positive coefficient of linear expansion is fixed to a sub member having a negative coefficient of linear expansion. The first main member is provided with an undercladding, a core functioning as an optical waveguide provided on a plane of the undercladding, and an overcladding provided so as to cover the core between the undercladding and the overcladding. The first main member is made, for example, of a silica glass or silicon based material and the core is doped with a dopant for increasing the refractive index. While covering the whole of at least one major surface of the first main member, the sub member is fixed to the major surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Hattori, Shigeru Semura, Toru Iwashima
  • Publication number: 20020159701
    Abstract: An optical signal, which is to become the subject of dispersion compensation, is split by optical combining/splitting unit 2, and each frequency component of the optical signal that is split is reflected by the corresponding reflective mirror 30 included in reflective mirror group 3 to apply a predetermined phase shift to the respective frequency components Each reflected frequency component is then combined using optical combining/splitting unit 2, to give dispersion compensated optical signal Furthermore, in regards to reflective mirror group 3, which is used to apply phase shift to each frequency component of an optical signal, each of the respective plurality of reflective mirrors 30 is made a movable mirror having a movable reflection position that reflects the frequency components. Through this, dispersion that develops in an optical signal may be compensated with favorable controllability and high accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventors: Makoto Katayama, Toshiaki Okuno, Masayuki Nishimura, Tomomi Sano, Masakazu Shigehara, Hiroshi Suganuma, Toru Iwashima, Tomohiko Kanie
  • Publication number: 20020009281
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining a condition of aging for an optical waveguide grating. In this method, the aged deterioration curve of the optical waveguide grating is set as a form of C·t−&agr;, where t represents time, and &agr; and C represent parameters. Then, the condition of the aging is determined based on the aged deterioration curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventors: Shinji Ishikawa, Toru Iwashima, Michiko Harumoto, Akira Inoue, Masakazu Shigehara
  • Publication number: 20010048789
    Abstract: This invention relates to a diffraction grating device having a refractive index modulation formed in an optical waveguide region in a predetermined region in the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide. In the diffraction grating device, a refractive index modulation is formed in the core region in a predetermined region in the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide. In this diffraction grating device, the optical period of the refractive index modulation is substantially constant, the phase of the refractive index modulation is inverted at a phase inversion portion, and the number of phase inversion portions is one or two. In this diffraction grating device, the absolute value of a parameter R (equation (22a)) is smaller than 0.25. According to this invention, a diffraction grating device capable of shortening the region where the refractive index modulation is formed and flattening the reflectance characteristic in the reflection wavelength band is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Inventors: Manabu Shiozaki, Toru Iwashima, Masakazu Shigehara, Kiyotaka Murashima
  • Publication number: 20010041039
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an optical waveguide device having a structure for effectively suppressing variation in optical characteristics due to temperature change without causing increase in device size, and a fabrication method thereof. The optical waveguide device has a structure in which a first main member having a positive coefficient of linear expansion is fixed to a sub member having a negative coefficient of linear expansion. The first main member is provided with an undercladding, a core functioning as an optical waveguide provided on a plane of the undercladding, and an overcladding provided so as to cover the core between the undercladding and the overcladding. The first main member is made, for example, of a silica glass or silicon based material and the core is doped with a dopant for increasing the refractive index. While covering the whole of at least one major surface of the first main member, the sub member is fixed to the major surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Hattori, Shigeru Semura, Toru Iwashima
  • Patent number: 6292607
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining a condition of aging for an optical waveguide grating. In this method, the aged deterioration curve of the optical waveguide grating is set as a form of C·t−&agr;, where t represents time, and &agr; and C represent parameters. Then, the condition of the aging is determined based on the aged deterioration curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries
    Inventors: Shinji Ishikawa, Toru Iwashima, Michiko Takushima (nee Harumoto), Akira Inoue, Masakazu Shigehara
  • Patent number: 6137931
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining a condition of aging for an optical fiber grating. This method comprises a step of setting the aged deterioration curve of the optical fiber grating as a form proportional to t.sup.-n, where t represents time, and n represents a parameter dependent on temperature; and a step of determining the condition of the aging according to the aged deterioration curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Ishikawa, Toru Iwashima, Michiko Harumoto, Akira Inoue
  • Patent number: 6072927
    Abstract: In an optical filter formed with a grating whose refractive index fluctuates along an optical axis of an optical waveguide so as to reflect light in a predetermined wavelength band, assuming that a position in the grating area is defined by a positional coordinate value z which is standardized by -.pi. to .pi. in a light propagating direction, an amplitude .DELTA.n of refractive index changing width in z satisfies: ##EQU1## by use of predetermined parameters x.sub.1 and x.sub.2 and proportional constants k.sub.1 and k.sub.2, .DELTA.n monotonously increasing or decreasing depending on whether the expression -.pi..ltoreq.z.ltoreq.0 or 0.ltoreq.z.ltoreq..pi. is satisfied, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Iwashima, Michiko Harumoto
  • Patent number: 6067392
    Abstract: A diffraction grating portion (12) is formed in an optical fiber (10), having a diameter of 125 .mu.m and serving to transmit light, along its optical axis. The optical fiber is concentrically surrounded by a lower coating portion (14) having an outer diameter of 300 .mu.m and consisting of a silicone resin. The lower coating portion is concentrically surrounded by a coating portion (16) having an outer diameter of 900 .mu.m and consisting of a liquid crystal polymer, e.g., polyester amide. The coating portion is further surrounded by an outermost coating portion (18) having an outer diameter of 1 mm and consisting of a UV curing resin colored for identification. Both the optical fiber (10) and the lower coating portion (14) have positive thermal expansion coefficients. In contrast to this, the coating portion (16) consisting of the liquid crystal polymer has a negative thermal expansion coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Wakami, Masayuki Shigematsu, Yoshiaki Terasawa, Akira Inoue, Masakazu Shigehara, Toru Iwashima
  • Patent number: 6021242
    Abstract: A band-pass filter formed in an optical waveguide, provided with a diffraction grating group having a period .LAMBDA. of refractive index fluctuation changing in an axial direction with substantially a constant changing width .DELTA.n, comprises two periodic refractive index variable areas having periodes .LAMBDA. different from each other; a zero area, disposed therebetween, having substantially a constant refractive index; and boundary areas, disposed between the zero area and the respective periodic refractive index variable areas, in which the changing width of refractive index monotonously changes between 0 and .DELTA.n.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries
    Inventors: Michiko Harumoto, Toru Iwashima
  • Patent number: 5859944
    Abstract: The optical connector according to the present invention comprises, at least, an optical filter with a waveguide structure having a grating with a predetermined reflection wavelength and a plug attached to a tip of the optical filter. The grating is disposed at a tip portion of the optical filter and accommodated in the plug attached to the tip portion of the optical filter. Further, the optical connector has various light-blocking structures for preventing unnecessary light from traveling a filter region of the optical filter including the grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Inoue, Toru Iwashima, Masumi Ito, Yoshiaki Miyajima, Shin-ichi Furukawa